Remote CART
(Communication Access Realtime Translation)
Instant Access to High-Quality Remote CART
via the Internet
By Valerie Stafford-Mallis
ACS Business Development Manager
P.O. Box 278
Lombard, IL 60148
(800) 335-0911
www.acscaptions.com
6 / * Trademarks & Registered Trademarks: Products and product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Problem Statement 3
Previous Options 4
Solution 4
Implementation 5
Summary 6
Introduction
This document will cover the basics of remote Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) as a service provision model for speech-to-text communication access. This paper will include information about why remote CART was created, how remote CART works, the technology considerations, and the solution that Alternative Communication Services (ACS) has devised to make remote CART technology a viable option for its customers.
Problem Statement
There is an increased interest in providing fast, accurate access to the spoken word of lectures, business meetings and conferences for persons who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Automated speech recognition software yields disappointing results, rendering the highly-skilled stenographic CART writer’s services still very much in demand. In fact, the need for excellent, highly-skilled CART writers in the community has risen dramatically.
Sometimes the demand outpaces the supply. The situation might be a one-hour business meeting or conference call and the nearest CART provider is booked for another event. The situation might be a medical or legal appointment with specialized vocabulary and short notice. The situation might be a budgetary necessity to avoid portal-to-portal time and travel charges a CART writer charges to commute to a remote location three hours away. These situations make finding alternatives to onsite CART writers advantageous.
One of the most difficult issues to resolve for requesters of CART services has been the shortage of CART writers available to provide services in a given geographic area, especially on short notice. CART writers and people who are deaf and hard of hearing tend to congregate in more populated areas where employment opportunities are greater. But what happens to those individuals who need services in rural or distant areas?
This problem has been especially prevalent in medical, legal and post-secondary educational settings. How can those responsible for securing qualified services find providers and ensure their patients/clients/students' needs are met, and the service providers' legal obligations are satisfied?
Previous Options
Historically, deaf and hard of hearing consumers in remote locations have had to either suffer with no services, make do with unqualified services or accept makeshift accommodations that usually do not meet their needs. Another option has been to import qualified CART writers from distant geographies costing countless dollars in travel time, mileage, work minimums, and in some cases hotel and/or airline accommodations.
The Solution
The solution to this problem lies in harnessing the power of the computer with a high-speed Internet connection. The technical name for this is remote Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). Unlike captioned telephone services (CTS) and telecommunication relay services (TRS), which are regulated by the FCC and require the deaf and hearing parties to be in separate locations and the Communication Assistant to be located in a call center, remote CART is largely provided by private companies allowing the deaf and hearing parties to be located in the same place, and the CART writer to be located remotely providing services via high-speed internet connection. Remote CART is not regulated by the FCC, nor is it subject to oversight by any governmental entity. Remote CART writers are required to follow all regulatory guidance regarding HIPAA and other privacy laws.
Benefits
There are many benefits to remote CART. The first is cost-effectiveness. It is often very difficult for service providers to justify paying hundreds of dollars to secure a CART writer for a short appointment. Add to this payment for travel time, mileage and any minimums the provider charges and the costs quickly add up. The use of remote CART completely eliminates travel time and mileage costs, as well as hourly minimums on the part of the service provider. This makes providing speech-to-text services much more budget-friendly.
The second benefit of remote CART is a guaranteed quality of services. When a service requester procures remote CART services, he/she can be assured that the CART writers provided are highly-qualified and ethical. Providing services utilizing National Court Reporting Association (NCRA) Certified CART writers ensures adherence to the NCRA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. NCRA-certified CART writers maintain their certification through continuing education requirements throughout their careers.
A third benefit of remote CART is centralized scheduling. Rather than a service requester attempting to contact individual CART writers over a period of days or weeks, remote CART writers contract with ACS and ACS does all the legwork to secure the highly qualified CART writers required for the assignment. This is especially beneficial when considering the amount of time it takes to locate and schedule CART writers for the duration of a school term, for example. ACS is also able to ensure that the CART writers scheduled are certified, meet the linguistic needs of the deaf or hard-of-hearing participant(s) and are qualified to transcribe the subject matter at hand.
Implementation - The ACS Way
ACS has recruited an excellent team of highly experienced remote CART writers who work for us from remote locations across the country. Each of them has a remote CART work station at home which consists of a computer, various CART software, Skype* software, an audio coupler hooked to an amplifier, and a headset all connected to a high-speed Internet connection. CART writers receive their audio feed via Skype, landline, or a web-based platform.
Consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing and CART writers are able to connect via high-speed Internet connection through various software programs. The CART writer provides speech-to-text services to the customer once connected. If a conference call line or a web-based meeting platform is being used for the appointment, it is possible to provide real-time speech-to-text services for any number of participants. It is even possible to combine PowerPoint slides and captions within a single visual field in a projected image and/or a web-based meeting.
The usual consumer requirements are minimal:
· Laptop computer or mobile device for individual receiving services
· LCD Projector and screen if the text is to be projected for all to see
· Free download of Skype* software www.skype.com*
· High-speed Internet connection with a reliable upload/download speed of at least 100 kbps each way (wired connection preferred but wireless can work).
· A method for capturing the sound of the speaker’s voice. The sound capture may be accomplished using a phone line, Skype voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP), external microphone plugged into the computer’s USB Port (such as a Revolabs xTag* wireless lapel microphone for the speaker or an omni-directional microphone for the room), a meeting facility’s USB mini-mixer, or in some cases the audio might come from the web.
· In the case of remote CART services for a convention or broadcast event, there might be other variables and options to consider, depending on the needs of the consumer. ACS finds it most beneficial for its Operations team to work directly with the hotel, broadcast, or event staff to determine their capabilities, engineer a solution, and test it out before the event. This is all included as a part of the ACS price quotation.
· Once ACS and the customer test the solution and determine viability, services are requested, scheduled and confirmed. All CART writer payments are processed by ACS, and the service requester receives one bill for all services rendered.
Summary
ACS has developed a reliable, cost-effective solution to the problem of a lack of local, qualified CART writers in any given area. This solution is not only easy to implement, but ensures both legal compliance and that the consumer is able to access services and information effectively.
Remote CART - it could change your life!
For more information contact:
Valerie Stafford-Mallis, Business Development Manager
office: 800-335-0911 | fax: 813-926-7875 | cell: 941-201-7805
"We are the Alternative...where the client AND employee matter."
P.O. Box 278, Lombard, IL 60148
email | website | vCard
Follow ACS on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/ACSCaptionsand
Facebook atwww.facebook.com/AlternativeCommunicationServices
6 / * Trademarks & Registered Trademarks: Products and product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.